Category: ‘E Roar

Cleaon Bradford poses with his children in front of a tractor

Paying it forward: Langston University alumnus dedicates career to helping Oklahoma farmers

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(This story was originally published in ‘E Roar | Vol. 2 Issue 5 on Sept. 12, 2025)

by Ellie Melero

It takes a lot to be a successful agribusinessman.

From hard, physical labor to the complexities of proper natural resource management, there’s more to it than most people would think, and no one knows that better than Cleaon Bradford.

A native of Boley, Oklahoma, Bradford has been in the agribusiness industry his entire life. He has spent countless hours meeting with people, learning about best practices and available resources, and doing whatever was needed to build a thriving cattle farm in his hometown. Throughout it all, he has also spent his 21-year career with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) helping other Oklahoma farmers do the same.

“Just as I was able to receive it, I want those individuals to be able to have those opportunities as well,” Bradford said.

photo of Oklahoma route 66 sign in front of a field
Like most Oklahomans, Bradford was exposed to Oklahoma’s thriving agriculture industry at a young age.
Photo credit: Michael Flippo/AdobeStock.

Like most Oklahomans, Bradford was exposed to Oklahoma’s thriving agriculture industry at a young age. He came from a family of farmers, and he was active in 4-H. He knew he wanted to own his own farm one day, so he took every opportunity he could to learn more about the industry.

His senior year of high school, as the president of his local 4-H club, Bradford attended the Retired Educators for Youth Agriculture Program at Oklahoma State University. Through his participation in the program, he was able to secure an internship with the USDA.

He spent the summer working for the local USDA office where he learned about natural resource conservation. He decided that was what he wanted to do with his life, so he began making plans for after high school.

Growing up in Boley, Bradford was familiar with Langston University and the opportunities it could provide, especially in the realm of agricultural research and education. So when he received a national scholarship from the Bureau of Reclamation, it was an easy decision to go to LU to study natural resource management.

“It was the college to go to,” Bradford said. “People spoke highly of it. It was a school where you were going to not only get your education, but you’d kind of feel like people cared about you and wanted you to succeed.”

Although he was getting ready to move for school, Bradford still hadn’t given up on his dream of owning his own farm. Actually, he was more motivated than ever. Not long after his high school graduation, 18-year-old Bradford secured a loan to lease land and purchase his first cattle stock, marking the beginning of his cattle production operation in Boley.

In addition to raising the livestock, he also grew and bailed hay with which to feed the animals in the winter. It was hard work, and he wouldn’t have been able to do it without the help and support of his family. He relied on that help even more when he began at Langston University in the fall of 2000.

Photo of the E.L. Holloway Building
Bradford was very involved with SAAS as a student, and to him, SAAS felt like its own club. He applied what he learned in class to his own farm throughout school.

Bradford was dedicated to his farm, but he was even more dedicated to his studies. He wasted no time when he arrived on the Langston Campus, determined to get involved in the School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (SAAS) every chance he had. For him, going to classes and attending events wasn’t just about getting a degree; it was about learning concepts and skills that he could turn around and apply on his farm.

“For me, it was just very encouraging that the things I was learning, I was able to use that on my own operation,” Bradford said. “That desire to learn and be successful in agriculture is one of the things that just really drove me.”

To anyone who met him, Bradford’s motivation to learn inside and outside the classroom was evident. Sherman Lewis, the LU alumnus and former USDA employee for whom SAAS is now named, worked at Langston University when Bradford was a student. He said Bradford’s potential was evident from the beginning.

According to Lewis, young Bradford had a strong work ethic and even stronger moral character. He knew Bradford would be successful in whatever career he chose, so he tried to encourage and support Bradford throughout their shared time at Dear Langston.

“He’s an outstanding young man,” Lewis said. “His work is always above and beyond any reproach, he’s always been a very hard worker, and he’s committed to doing what is necessary to make sure he gets the job done. And you know, he’s been that way from the day I met him.”

Bradford said the support he received from Lewis and the other faculty and staff in SAAS is part of why he thrived in college. From the beginning, SAAS felt like its own club where everyone wanted one another to succeed, and he had it drilled into his mind not to waste the opportunities LU provides.

He attended the semiannual career fair his freshman year where he spoke to recruiters from the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) in Oklahoma. They told him about the USDA Student Career Experience Program, now called the Pathways Internship Program, which is a year-round paid internship for students that offers a guaranteed full-time job upon graduation to those who complete a minimum number of hours in the program.

A photo of a USDA Service Center sign
Bradford interned with the USDA throughout college and accepted a job offer from the USDA’s Natural Resource Conservation Service after graduation.
Photo Credit: jetcityimage/AdobeStock

He applied and, having already completed a USDA internship in high school, was readily accepted to the program. He was grateful for the experience and extra income the internship provided, but balancing his classes, his job and his farm was challenging.

“I was a very busy student,” Bradford said. “People used to say to me, ‘Man, you’re just real serious.’ And I’d say, ‘You know what? I am.’ I really took things serious, and I really wanted to take advantage of my time out there and really be successful.”

Bradford graduated in 2004 and accepted a job offer from NRCS as a Soil Conservationist in Wewoka, Oklahoma. He later became a district conservationist and served in roles as a supervisor and a team lead. Now, he’s the Outreach Coordinator for NRCS Oklahoma.

A large part of his job boils down to making sure Oklahoma’s producers are aware of the resources available to them through NRCS and helping them take advantage of what’s there when they need it. From guiding them to NRCS’ technical support to educating them about financial assistance programs, Bradford spends his days trying to help Oklahoma’s farmers.

As with many aspects of the agricultural industry, the work may not be glamourous, but Bradford said it’s rewarding. In every position he has held with NRCS, he has always enjoyed the outreach aspect of the job. He likes going out into the field and being with the farmers. He likes talking with them, working through their problems, and knowing at the end of the day he is helping people become successful agribusinessmen/women.

“I can look back at the times we put on an outreach event or had something going on, and you hear from the producers about how you helped them, helped their operation,” Bradford said. “That’s always rewarding.”

Agribusiness is one of the largest industries in Oklahoma. Nearly 75% of the state is farmland, and it produces $1.8 billion in agricultural exports per year while being one of the nation’s top producers of beef and rye, according to the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. Having spent his own career in the USDA, Lewis knows the systems that support this high level of agricultural industry are themselves held up by the people who work for them. People like Bradford.

Lewis worked at the NRCS’ national office in Washington, D.C., not long after Bradford graduated from LU, and he kept tabs on Bradford’s progress through the organization. He spoke with people from NRCS Oklahoma and other agencies who all knew Bradford and spoke highly of him.

a photo of Cleaon Bradford
Bradford has dedicated his career to helping Oklahoma’s farmers. As a fellow farmer, Bradford works every day to uplift Oklahoma’s agriculture industry.

According to Lewis, Bradford excelled not only at the technical aspects of his job, but also the relationship-building aspects. As he moved through the ranks, he did what he could to help newer employees succeed so they could help their constituents succeed. He even served as the president of the Oklahoma chapter of the National Organization of Professional Black NRCS Employees, an organization dedicated to mentoring young professionals in the workplace.

The combination of his skilled fieldwork and successful professional relationships have allowed him to have a broad impact on NRCS and Oklahoma agriculture.

“Any time you’re out there on the ground, working with individual farmers and assisting them, educating them and conserving a natural resource base, you’re doing something for the overall health and welfare of agriculture here in the state of Oklahoma,” Lewis said. “That’s what Cleaon has been doing. He’s touched the lives of many, many farmers.”

Throughout it all, Bradford has continued farming.

Every day, he goes to work with NRCS, then drives to Boley to tend to his herd before going home to his wife and kids. Over the years, he bought land as it became available, and with the help of his family––especially his father––he continues to grow his cattle and hay operation.

The farm is important to Bradford for many reasons. It’s a way for him to connect with his children and teach them practical skills. It’s a way for him to provide for their future. It’s tangible evidence of the hard work he’s done over two and half decades. And it’s a way for him to show others that it’s possible to be successful in an industry that can sometimes feel like too much.

“I want to continue to grow and master being in the ag business,” Bradford said. “I want to be a successful agribusinessman and be able to show that success, shine a light on the potential, the possibilities, the opportunities and make sure I’m educating others.

“Throughout my life, I want to make sure I spread that knowledge and encourage the future for people who want to get involved with agriculture.”

The Keeper of Keepers: LU Honeybee Extension Supports Oklahoma Bees and Farmers

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(This story was originally published in ‘E Roar | Volume 2 Issue 5 on Sept. 12, 2025)

By Jet Turner

As dusk turns to dark, the last of us buzz our way back into the hive to rest for the night. This time, the doors close behind us. Unusual, but not an issue. We settle into our honeycombs for the night, awaiting the morning sun.

A jarring of the hive awakes us in the morning. Strange noises come from the outside. The jarring finally ends and our home stands still for a moment until rhythmic vibrations shake the colony.

Before long the vibrations cease. Those same jarring movements follow, but quickly end. The hive is still.

Finally, the doors open and we stretch our wings, leaving the hive in droves. We don’t recognize where we are, so we fly in figure eights, trying to get our bearings. Slowly, we are able to inch further and further away from our home and into a new land where new nectar awaits–all in support of our queen and colony.

While this scene may seem dramatic, in a couple of days the honeybees within this colony will adjust to their new environment and continue with their normal duties, unaware of the tremendous benefit they are providing to the crops surrounding their hives and the farmers who harvest them.

From hobbyists to commercial growers, relocating honeybee colonies is just one of the many ways the Langston University honeybee extension program helps people all across Oklahoma.

Hank Baker, the honeybee extension educator and administrator of research at Langston University, said simply placing one honeybee colony in front of crops can increase yields by 60-70%. While bees are an excellent resource for agriculturalists, beekeeping is full of challenges. Without proper training, many will quit.

“With honeybees and their management, there’s a really large learning curve,” Baker said. “Almost 80% (of people) that get into honeybees quit within the first three years. They’ll quit because they don’t have any help. Their bees will die in the first year, and they’ll try again, and then their bees will die again, and they’ll try it again.”

Anyone can find beekeeping training programs and resources online, but that material pales in comparison to hands-on training in the field.

This is where Langston University’s honeybee extension program excels.

“One of the things that I pride ourselves on in our program is we go in and we help those farmers manage their colonies so they have successes instead of failures,” Baker said. “I am out in the field every day. I probably call on half a dozen farmers a day, showing up and going through those colonies with them.

“You’ll learn more in an hour-long visit than from a six-month class.”

Although this program has only been around for about a year and a half, Baker’s hands-on approach to helping Oklahomans with their honeybee colonies has already made a difference.

A disabled veteran from Kingfisher County, who uses beekeeping as a therapeutic hobby, enjoyed nothing more than sitting on the porch and watching his bees. One day, he discovered all six of his colonies were in trouble, so he called Baker for support.

Baker traveled out to the veteran’s home to see if he could help save the colonies, but unfortunately, there were almost no bees left.

Within 7-10 business days, Baker had two new colonies installed in the bee boxes the veteran already owned. Now, Baker receives regular text messages and calls from the veteran thanking him for his help and updating him on the bees.

A beekeeper in Choctaw told Baker he has quadrupled his honey production just from Baker going on-location to help him over the last year.

A farmer from Wetumpka and her husband have been gardening for years, and often sell their produce at the Norman farmers’ market. They recently lost all but one of their six honeybee colonies. Baker visited the farmers and quickly installed new colonies and new queens. Now, their business is back up and running, and the couple stay in regular contact with Baker about the status of their bees.

These are just a couple of instances where Baker and the honeybee extension program have made a difference. Baker helps people tend to their honeybees in all 77 Oklahoma counties and has reached over 500 individuals through various programs and workshops. These include on-site farm visits and LU campus workshops as well as collaborations with other organizations such as Oklahoma State University, Hives for Heroes, local elementary schools and nearby cities, performing services and workshops off campus.

“The farmers that we help, I usually pay them a visit about once a month,” Baker said. “So after about six visits, they’re getting a pretty good handle on (beekeeping) and they don’t need as much help. Then, they start to mentor other people around them. It kind of snowballs from there.”

The Langston University honeybee extension program also assists public parks and other similar spaces, for a bee’s role as a pollinator keeps the park grass and other vegetation healthy and lively.

Recently, Baker helped Scissortail Park in Oklahoma City escape a vicious cycle. Each year the park bought new bees because their colonies would die in the winter.

Baker was asked to come evaluate the bees, and he discovered the colonies were not producing enough wax for the queen to lay eggs in. He took several frames from the bee boxes home and heavily hand waxed them. Now, the bee population in the park is able to expand, and the park no longer needs to buy new queens every year.

While detailed data is still being gathered, preliminary outcomes indicate measurable economic benefits to Oklahomans, such as increased income and productivity among participants. According to stakeholders, the average income increase for program participants has grown substantially, reflecting gains in produce output, honey production, sustainable honeybee populations and entrepreneurial success.

“I’m proud of the quality of outreach that we do,” Baker said. “It’s only been a year and a half, and the quality of work that we’re performing in the field and the number of people we are helping is tremendous.” 

A hook removing panels from a beehive.Hank Baker, in beekeeping gear, shows a student how to remove panels from a beehive. A colony of bees on a beehive panel

group poses in front of TDC mural

Keep Dreaming: Langston University Cooperative Extension partners with Tulsa Dream Center to bring STEM opportunities to Tulsa children

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(This story was originally published in ‘E Roar | Volume 2 Issue 5 on Sept. 12, 2025)

by Ellie Melero

It was a bright and clear Tuesday morning, and Tulsa was just starting to heat up under Oklahoma’s unforgiving summer sun. In the north part of the city, cars drove with their windows down and people walked on sunbaked concrete sidewalks as they made their way to the Tulsa Dream Center.

Despite the early hour, the north campus of the Tulsa Dream Center (TDC) was already a hive of activity. The lobby was filled with people hoping to take advantage of one of the many services TDC provides the community. Across the parking lot, volunteers were getting ready for the twice-weekly grocery giveaway. On the second floor of the Center, there were classrooms full of eager children waiting to see what activity they were about to do with Langston University.

For six weeks in June and July, the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (FCS)–a part of LU’s Cooperative Extension and Outreach Programs through the Sherman Lewis School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences–hosted interactive STEM workshops for the TDC’s Dream Academy Summer Camp. The activities ranged from sewing classes to basic coding lessons, and they were always a highlight of the week for the kids.

“The kids, they loved it,” said Pastor Tim Newton, the executive director of TDC. “They’re experiencing things and seeing things that they otherwise wouldn’t have known even existed.”

LU Extension has worked with TDC a handful of times over the past three years, but both groups have wanted to expand the partnership for a while. This year, they took the first step forward by collaborating on TDC’s spring and summer day camps, and the partnership will continue growing as LU Extension grows its footprint in Tulsa.

It all started with STEM Field Day.

a mural inside the Tulsa Dream Center's STEM Center
The activities LU Cooperative Extension puts on are helping TDC kids build foundational knowledge in STEM and teaching them important life skills.

For several years, Extension Educator Shar Carter has organized a STEM Field Day in Tulsa at a local butterfly farm. She works with the statewide FCS team and collaborates with other LU departments, local schools and outside organizations to put on free, fun and engaging educational activities for the kids, such as demonstrations from Langston University’s Drone Technology and Precision Agriculture program.

In 2022, STEM Field Day fell on Monroe Middle School’s fall break, so Carter had an opening for 100 students to attend the event. She reached out to TDC to see if they would be interested, and Pastor Tim wasted no time gathering kids to fill the open spots.

“He was like, ‘I can get you kids,’” Carter said. “And from then on, we’ve been working with the Dream Center. They are just a feeder for so many schools in Tulsa that it just made sense.”

TDC is one of the largest providers of after school childcare in Tulsa, and it serves between 700–1,000 kids daily. The average household income for these families is $27,000 per year. Because of its reach, Carter knew working with TDC would be a strategic partnership for LU Extension.

This spring, Carter approached Dr. Tiffany Williams, the program leader for Family and Consumer Sciences, about an opportunity to grow their existing relationship with TDC. Dr. Williams was immediately on board.

“The needs of the youth as well as the adults who attend TDC closely align with the outreach mission of our cooperative extension program,” Dr. Williams said. “Shar recognized this and developed a partnership with TDC to implement the Children, Youth and Families at Risk program. She thought that would be a great way to really start this partnership between Langston and TDC, and she spearheaded developing that partnership.”

Pastor Tim had invited FCS to be a part of TDC’s spring break day camp in March, so Carter and Dr. Williams decided to do a week-long culinary camp for the kids. They worked with a professional chef to develop the program, and every day they taught the kids how to prepare healthy and delicious meals. They even sent the kids home with leftovers to share with their families.

As is her forte, Carter had fun explaining to the kids how everything from the fractions they used to measure ingredients to the chemical reactions as the food cooked tied back to STEM. For Dr. Williams, the camp was about educating the kids about healthy eating and motivating them to share the knowledge with their families. For Pastor Tim, it was about getting the kids excited to learn.

A row of computers inside the Tulsa Dream Center's STEM center
TDC is one of the largest providers of after school childcare in Tulsa, and it serves between 700–1,000 kids daily. Because of its reach, Carter knew working with TDC would be a strategic partnership for LU Extension.

The culinary camp was such a success that Pastor Tim asked them to come back for the Dream Academy Summer Camp. FCS takes a wholistic approach to education, focusing on teaching people of all ages important life skills, so Dr. Williams and Carter got the other extension departments involved. They did different activities every week, and Carter said the kids didn’t even realize how much they were learning.

“I tie everything that we do back to math, critical thinking and reading comprehension,” Carter said. “I think youth learn better if they’re having fun.”

One of Pastor Tim’s primary goals for TDC’s educational programs is to expand the kids’ minds, and he says the activities they do with LU go a long way toward achieving that goal. Not only does LU Extension make learning fun, but it also exposes them to new things they would probably never interact with otherwise.

In addition to helping them build foundational knowledge in areas like agriculture and food science, Pastor Tim said LU Extension is inspiring the students to pursue new interests. He anticipates there will be a long-term economic impact from this partnership as the children grow up and become more motivated, confident and prepared to pursue a higher education.

“As those kids get exposed to those things, they’ll be able to leave here, earn a good education, earn wages, and be able to come back into this community,” Pastor Tim said. “It will change the trajectory of this community, and really, that’s the goal.

Since the spring, the collaborations between LU and TDC have been steadily increasing. Thanks to the cooperative efforts of the statewide FCS team under Dr. Williams’ leadership, Community Resource Development’s Joshua Davis, LU Extension’s leadership team and Pastor Tim, LU and TDC have completed several community projects and begun work planning more

Over the summer, they planted a community garden at TDC’s north campus, which will serve not only as an educational tool for future Dream Academy programming but also to address food insecurity issues in an area considered a food desert.

Dr. Williams has created a nutrition education initiative to teach TDC’s constituents about healthy eating, and she recently launched a nutrition education website that is a prototype for an app.

Carter is working to start a quilting club for community members of all ages, and she hopes to offer more fiber arts programming as the resources become available.

LU Cooperative Extension and Outreach hired a new 4-H educator, Marquisha Thomas, to bring LU’s 4-H and Youth Development programs to TDC.

These are just some of what the group has accomplished through this partnership, and they are continually exploring new ways to collaborate for the good of the community. As Langston University’s Cooperative Extension works to expand its programs around Tulsa, Carter, Dr. Williams and Pastor Tim are excited to see what the future holds.

Josie Throckmorton pilots a drone

Pastures and Progress: Josie Throckmorton’s Journey to Shape the Future of Agriculture

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(This story was originally published in ‘E Roar | Vol. 2 Issue 5 on Sept. 12, 2025)

by Jet Turner

The morning sunrise bleeds orange and blue hues as its light crests over the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. Its rays reach through her bedroom curtains as the rooster crows, but Josie Throckmorton isn’t focused on the noise; she is focused on the peace and tranquility of waking up on her grandparents’ farm.

She crawls out of bed to begin her chores. The morning dew has made the hay too damp to harvest just yet, so Josie focuses on feeding the animals. The horses neigh and whinny, the cattle stir, the dogs get ready for the day, and even the cats quit their morning lounge as she approaches with their food.

Eventually the dew evaporates and it’s time to harvest the hay. At this young age, Josie is too little to reach the pedals of the hay truck, so her sister drives while she uses her hands on the pedals to brake and accelerate.

Josie doesn’t remember when she learned to do these things. She’s been riding horses since before she could walk and has helped take care of the animals and harvest the fields from the moment she could.

Josie grew up with these animals, and she grew up working the land.

Fog and shadows creating color gradients of the Arkansas Ozark Mountains at Sunrise.
Josie grew up in the Ozark Mountain foothills, where she learned to tend to the land and animals on her grandparent’s farm.

But this isn’t just any land they work. This land where the sky is so clear, where the stars are so bright at night you can literally watch the world spin around you, where even the air feels different, was the original Native American allotment of land given to Josie’s Cherokee ancestors when they signed the Dawes Rolls after walking from North Carolina down the Trail of Tears.

“Whenever you’re out there it’s like there’s not a care in the world,” Josie said. “There’s nothing else that matters except for that land and your family that’s built it.”

Josie and her family lived in those Ozark Mountain foothills until her father, Dusty, received an opportunity to be the assistant principal of Guthrie High School. Josie was about to start the third grade when they moved.

Learning is deeply ingrained into the Throckmorton’s family culture. Dusty and his wife Marjorie, who are each educators, made sure of it. Growing up on a farm taught their children to solve problems in real time, learn by doing and understand complex processes, among many other skills.

Marjorie and Dusty were training their daughters, of which they have three, for independence.

“When a kid’s raised on a farm, they’re exposed to more things than a kid that is less fortunate,” Dusty said. “I think it’s the richest environment to raise a child in.

“Whatever a young set of hands could do, we didn’t shy away from. We heated our house with 100% wood until (Josie) was 8 years old. So once a week, we were felling a tree, we’re getting the wood splitter, we’re cutting wood with a chainsaw, and I’d let the girls run the splitter. They’re stacking wood, they’re picking up sticks, they’re raking the yard.”

Dusty realizes that’s probably a heavier responsibility than most 8-year-olds are used to, but responsibilities like these laid the foundation for Josie’s work ethic, her love for learning, and her respect for the land she works and the agriculture that cultivates it.

After moving to Guthrie, the Throckmortons began working for Davis Farms in Logan County. There, they tended to the farm’s dry cows. Here, Josie learned how to show cows in addition to her other responsibilities.

When it came to her formal education, Josie’s parents always emphasized the role of meaningful, hands-on experiences outside of regular course work. They would tell her to, “Not let school get in the way of your education.”

They also told her, “You get out of school what you put into it,” a lesson that influenced how Josie interacted with her teachers and kept her involved in a multitude of extracurricular activities, such as 4–H and track and field.

College was the next step for Josie upon graduating high school. She knew she wanted to study agriculture, and as she weighed her options, Langston University became a natural fit for her.

“Honestly, I came (to Langston University) for the agriculture program,” Josie said. “I wanted a small school where I wouldn’t be just a number. I wanted the professors to know who I am, and I wanted to know who they were. So, I came to Langston to deep dive into the ag program with all of the research that they have because Langston is known for their agriculture research. I came to get into that research and have a personal relationship with the people that are teaching me.”

Langston University was named a Research College and University by the Carnegie Classification of Higher Education Institutions in March, emphasizing the focus of research for the institution. Additionally, Langston University has a student-to-faculty ratio of about 17:1 and continues to be the most affordable four-year institution in Oklahoma.

Josie hit the ground running when she arrived to campus during the Fall 2022 semester, ensuring she introduced herself to professors, shared her interests with them and got involved where she could.

Throughout her time at LU, Josie has been involved in honeybee research under Dr. Malcolm McCallum and honeybee extension educator Hank Baker, and horticulture research under Dr. Tracey Payton. But what might end up defining her time at Langston University is the work she has done with the Drone Technology and Precision Agriculture team.

The Drone Technology and Precision Agriculture team is made up of Langston University students conducting research with drones. The goal of this research is to develop a smart but inexpensive drone that can help manage livestock and pastures for farmers. Dr. Leonard Kibet serves as the primary investigator.

Instructor Marcio White formally met Josie for the first time about two years ago at a Sherman Lewis School of Agriculture and Applied Sciences (SL/SAAS) event but had seen her around before because she was always at leadership meetings.

It was here where White approached Josie about the work the Drone Technology and Precision Agriculture team was doing. Josie was immediately interested, and after a couple of meetings she was voted onto the team by its existing members.

Josie Throckmorton looking at a large drone in a field.
Josie is in charge of the pasture management component of the project and flies missions with the spray drone, seen here.

Josie is the Nutritive Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI) Specialist on the team. She is in charge of the pasture management component of the project and flies missions with the spray drone, which can very precisely––down to the inch––apply fertilizer, pesticide, herbicide and insecticide to a crop to ensure that only specific spots are targeted so no extra chemicals enter the land.

The Drone Technology and Precision Agriculture team has existed at Langston University for about 6 years, but White said this year’s team may be the best ever assembled, and Josie is a huge contributor to that fact.

“(Josie) has great character, and she has a brilliant intelligence,” White said. “She’s a dedicated hard worker, she’s committed to what she’s doing, punctual, and she’s very good at communicating not only her ideas, but how she feels about things. And she’s also a leader.”

White described Josie as a “participative type leader,” one who is always willing to get in and do the work, leading by example wherever she can.

As long as the Drone Technology and Precision Agriculture team has been at Langston University, White has tried to convince his students to study for and earn their commercial drone pilot license. His efforts were unsuccessful until this past Spring when, unknown to him, Josie began to study for her license.

Later that semester, Josie passed all tests and became the first active Langston University student to earn their commercial drone pilot license.

When she originally began planning her future career, Josie only wanted to preserve her family’s agricultural heritage and their ancestorial Cherokee allotment of land for future generations, but that passion has expanded.

Now, as Josie prepares to graduate in May, she sees herself bridging the gap between the traditional farming methods she learned on her grandparents’ land so long ago and new technologies like the drones she flies today.

“To us, that land is more of a sign of God’s provision for our family,” Josie said. “We know that we’ve been looked after and given so much, so what we hope to do is to keep this land in our family so that that whole story and that sacrifice and all the turmoil and hardships that my Cherokee ancestors faced is still alive in us today, and that we don’t forget the things that they went through to give us the stuff that we do have. I want to preserve that land so that my kids and my grandkids can grow up running around in the creeks, up and down in the hollers and in the hay fields and fishing in the ponds, just like I did, and just like all of my ancestors before me.

“What I want to do for the rest of my life is talk to people and educate them on what the future of agriculture is, what their role is in it, and how to preserve what they already have.”

J'Taelii Heath stands by poster with research data on it.

Setting the Bar: J’Taelii Heath strives to carve her own path in research and life

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(This story was originally published in ‘E Roar | Vol. 2 Issue 4 on June 13, 2025)

By Ellie Melero, Media Relations Specialist; Jet Turner, Assistant Director of Communications

After almost two weeks of rain, the sun shone bright above W.E. Anderson Stadium as the Langston University Class of 2025 processed onto the football field for the 125th Commencement Ceremony, adding to the air of joy and levity that could be felt all over campus.

Cheering, dancing, noisemakers and more could be heard from all over campus as the hundreds of friends and families packed the stand to celebrate their graduates, nearly 70% of whom are the first in their families to earn a college degree. J’Taelii Heath was one of these first-generation students.

But if it weren’t for the encouragement of her family, and the Langston University McCabe Honors Program, she might not have been able to attend university at all.

Heath grew up in Oklahoma City in a family of entrepreneurs. From working with kids to styling hair, her family was involved in a variety of industries, but the business path never interested Heath. She was more interested in STEM, and the idea of entering the medical field had always intrigued her. When she took a health class in high school with a vegan teacher who taught them about different types of healthy lifestyles, she decided she wanted to go to school to study osteopathic medicine.

“It was just something that stuck with me,” Heath said. “I just wanted to continue to do that research and find a different outlet besides (the plant-based diet).”

Once she knew she wanted to study medicine, Heath knew she needed to get her bachelor’s degree first. As the oldest of five kids, it was also important to her to show her siblings that college was a viable option they could also choose.

As she began looking into schools, she knew wherever she enrolled needed to be affordable, have a good biology program and be close enough to home that she could still be a part of her younger siblings’ lives.

Langston University fit the bill.

Heath earned a McCabe Scholarship, which paid for her tuition, room and board, and entered the Lion Pride as a biology major.J'Taelii Heath holds certificate

“It just offered the opportunity for me to stay close to family and be able to afford it, of course, with a full ride scholarship,” Heath said. “That was the first step, being in the honors program, having my school paid for, especially coming from a low-income household where I’m the oldest and a first-generation college student.”

When she got to campus, Heath sought out Dr. Byron Quinn. A biology professor and accomplished researcher, Dr. Quinn is a mentor to many LU students, and Heath knew she wanted to join his lab. Dr. Quinn was happy to have her.

In Dr. Quinn’s lab, Heath learned how to properly conduct research. She learned how to handle different types of equipment and run simple experiments. She was eager to learn and a quick study, and she impressed Dr. Quinn. He helped her apply for an internship with the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) as one of the first OMRF-LU Scholars.

During her OMRF internship, Heath helped design and conduct an experiment using black pepper, more specifically a compound called piperin, as a treatment for multiple sclerosis. Her goal was to find a more natural alternative treatment for the disease that didn’t rely solely on drugs. To her delight, the experiment was a success.

Heath continued working with OMRF as an LU Scholar after the internship was over, and she also began to help out more in Dr. Quinn’s lab. Heath found she really enjoyed research, so she decided to apply to OK-LSAMP, a statewide program that provides financial assistance to student researchers so they can present their research at professional conferences and conventions.

Over the course of her time at Langston University, with the assistance of her professors and the OK-LSAMP program, Heath has presented her research 15 times at local and national conferences.

“It has helped me see the world differently,” Heath said. “Traveling from state to state, people do things differently… It also helped me learn public speaking skills. I’ve always been very shy and not prone to want to go talk to people.”

Heath has also had the opportunity to assist with NASA research at Langston University, specifically with a project focused on studying how to keep astronauts’ immune cells active while in space conditions. Currently, the LU research team is preparing samples to be sent to the International Space Station. Heath will be a part of the team that will analyze the samples upon their return to Earth.

OK-LSAMP manager and associate professor of chemistry at Langston University, Dr. Lindsay Davis, immediately recognized Heath’s potential as an excellent student from the moment she met her in 2021.

J'Taelii Heath receives the Outstanding Senior Leadership award.
J’Taelii Heath receives the Outstanding Senior Leadership Award at the 2025 Graduation Ceremony.

Since then, Dr. Davis has seen Heath grow into the inquisitive student she is today. A student who always seeks to improve herself. A student who seeks new opportunities wherever she can find them.

“(Heath) is always wondering how to improve,” Dr. Davis said. “I don’t know if she really realizes her power. (Her power) is evident by all of her accolades. It’s evident. I wish she would seek that part of herself more. But that’s part of being a young Black scientist; you just kind of do it, and she’s doing it.”

As Heath stood to be recognized as a winner of the Outstanding Senior Leader Award during the commencement ceremony, she beamed with power. The award is earned by graduating seniors who go above and beyond throughout their college career in their commitment to leadership, academics, campus involvement, community service and exemplary character, all of which embodied her journey at Langston University.

Eventually her name was called to receive her diploma, and she strolled up the ramp and onto the commencement stage, taking a photo with President Ruth Ray Jackson and shaking hands with the members of the dais.

She walked off the opposite side ramp the first member of her family to graduate college.

“I just want to be the outlet for my siblings, to be that extra guidance to a different path for our family and for generations to follow,” Heath said. “There is a different path that is an option for us.” 

From Theory to Practice: Langston University Celebrates 25th Annual Research Day

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(This story was originally published in ‘E Roar | Vol. 2 Issue 4 in June 2025)

By Jet Turner, Assistant Director of Communications

Langston University held its 25th Annual Research Day on April 18, 2025. Research Day includes various disciplines, majors and students. Whether you are a biology or chemistry student, psychology student or even a computer science student, you are welcome to participate in Research Day.

Research Day aims to help students understand the practical applications of their learning. It shows students how their knowledge can serve society and provides an opportunity to demonstrate their problem solving and articulation skills. It also allows students to build their resumes, prepare for internships and graduate school applications, among many other skills.

“It’s the value added,” said Dr. John K. Coleman, Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Once you get a culture where students (are presenting their research), you look at the student and you just see the product. Now they are starting to learn why they’re learning these theories and why they learn these concepts, and then what you can actually do with it and how you can help society. You’re here to learn, but you leave to serve. So how do you use what you’re learning? This is the part that teaches you how you use what you’re learning to serve society.”

Dr. Lindsay Davis, associate professor of chemistry, participated in the 13th Research Day when she was a student at LU.

Despite her fear and hesitation to present her research, she was well prepared and supported.

“Ultimately, Research Day gave me the confidence that I needed to pursue graduate school and to make these presentations a norm for me,” Dr. Davis said. “I was so scared of public speaking, and now it’s easy.

“So, Research Day definitely helps with their communication skills. But most importantly, I think it allows them to be a scientist, to communicate through research and to really achieve their goals.”

This year over 20 students participated in Research Day. 

 

Josiah Grayson – Selection of Undergraduate Degree Major Among College Students

Senior, Computer Science Major

Josiah Grayson’s research explored the psychological and social factors influencing how college students, especially those at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), choose their academic majors.

Grayson’s studies revealed personal interest is the most important factor when a prospective student selects a major, which contradicts his hypothesis that financial considerations would be at the forefront of their decision-making process.

Grayson highlights that student interests are often “shaped by what they have been exposed to,” meaning individuals are more likely to pursue careers and majors they have seen modeled in their communities. For Black students specifically, this means decisions are “shaped by survival, legacy and representation.”

“Institutional culture and climate impacts persistence,” Grayson said. “What goes on at the university and then specifically in the department, how they teach the information, how they work with the students. Is there tutoring? These things highly impact whether or not somebody is actually going to finish their degree.”

Financial status, according to Grayson, still plays a significant role in a student’s decision in what major they select, even if it isn’t the primary driving force. Grayson notes that students from a lower socioeconomic status tend to be more risk-averse, often choosing a “more stable” career path, while students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds have more flexibility to pursue less conventional majors, if they so choose.

 

Kimbree Layton – Studying the Relationship Between Mental Health, Emotional Well-Being and Academic Well-Being Among College Athletes

Senior, Psychology Major

Kimbree Layton conducted a comprehensive study examining the relationship between mental health, emotional well-being and academic well-being among collegiate athletes at Langston University. Her research focused specifically on anxiety, depression and stress levels among student athletes.

The study employed a multi-scale survey approach, utilizing four different psychological assessment tools. Layton was able to collect data from 15 of Langston University’s student athletes, all of whom were female.

Findings revealed that Langston University student athletes generally demonstrated positive mental health indicators, showing no significant signs of depression, anxiety or stress.

“(The student athletes) think highly of professional help and seeking it when it is necessary,” Layton said.

Layton’s research highlighted several critical factors influencing student athlete mental health, including “the importance of their relationships” with coaches, professors and family. Modern student athletes must overcome a tough emotional landscape, and many challenge the stigma that they should always be “very mentally tough” and not show emotions.

While the study provides valuable insights, Layton recognized limitations in her research, including the small sample size and the use of somewhat dated psychological assessment scales. She recommended future research should “examine what relationships between scales and demographics” exist and potentially explore the impact of teammates on mental health, a dimension not fully explored in this current study.

 

Reginald M. Archibald II – Artificial Intelligence Biases in Healthcare

Senior, Computer Science Major

Reginald Archibald II explored the critical issue of artificial intelligence (AI) bias in healthcare, highlighting how AI models can perpetuate systemic inequalities.

Archibald’s research uncovered six types of bias in healthcare AI models: implicit, selection, measurement, confounding, temporal and algorithm bias.

An example pointed to in this research is the dermatology AI tool developed by Stanford University, which was trained predominantly on images of lighter-skinned individuals. This could have a significant negative impact on patients who have a darker skin complexation.

“When you go in and they’re trying to detect for skin cancer, oftentimes they’re not able to find it, and they might (misdiagnose) you,” Archibald said.

Several other real-world scenarios demonstrate the potential harm of biased AI. During the COVID-19 pandemic, pulse oximeters were found to miss conditions in Black patients three times more often than in other races. Another study revealed an AI algorithm that based healthcare decisions on costs that systematically undervalued Black patients’ health needs.

To address these critical issues, Archibald proposes multiple solutions. These include conducting bias audits before AI deployment, training healthcare professionals on AI decision-making processes and incorporating synthetic data to improve representation.

He emphasizes the importance of diversity in AI development, stating that diverse team members can provide “ethical background knowledge about their race, their gender, their age group and their economic status.”  

Dr. Emily Patterson Harris speaks into a microphone

Education for Service: Dr. Emily Patterson Harris retires after 44 years at Langston University

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(This story was originally published in ‘E Roar | Vol. 2 Issue 4 on June 13, 2025.)

by Ellie Melero, Media Relations Specialist

Every year on Mother’s Day, Dr. Emily Patterson Harris gets a call from one of her former students.

When that student was younger, he attended and dropped out of two colleges, but Dr. Harris wasn’t having it.

“It took me two years to talk him into coming to Langston University and giving it another try,” Dr. Harris said. “And he did. We had some rough times in there, but he finished, and he calls me on Mother’s Day.”

Not all of her student interactions have been as friendly.

Once, while walking down the stairs at the LU-Tulsa campus, a student stopped Dr. Harris to talk. She knew the student sometimes struggled to balance his schoolwork with his responsibilities as a father, but she also knew he was capable of it.

“He stopped me, and he said, ‘Well, I want you to know that I’m going to graduate, if for no other reason than to get you off of my back,’” Dr. Harris said. She responded with an upbeat, “OK!”

That student did graduate, and he went on to earn his master’s degree, too. She still sees him and talks with him occasionally.

Dr. Harris has countless stories like these because she’s been working with students for over 40 years. She has worked tirelessly to develop well-defined and relevant programs that will help students get jobs after graduation, and she has also worked to make sure students make it to graduation. From working with them in the classroom to advising those who left to figure out how to come back, Dr. Harris doesn’t give up on her students. She cares about them, and she knows that for many, earning their degree will change their life.

Education is Transformative

Dr. Harris has always believed in the power of education, and she understands better than most that the transformative effects of earning a degree can be felt for generations. Her own family is a prime example. Her maternal grandmother, Emily Alford, only had an 8th grade education, but she was determined to send her children to college. They came to Langston University.

Violet Alford as a student at Langston University
Violet Alford, Dr. Harris’ mother, graduated from Langston University with a B.S. in Business in 1950.

Dr. Harris’ mother, Violet, graduated from Langston University in 1950 with a B.S. in Business. Her father, Lee V. Patterson, Sr., graduated from LU that same year with a B.S. in Industrial Arts. They both had successful teaching careers in Oklahoma, and they made sure their children understood education was important. The message was echoed by Dr. Harris’ aunts and uncles as she and her cousins prepared to go to college, and they eventually passed the message along to their children, too.

Today, the younger generations of the family understand that education is transformative, and Dr. Harris’ son Erick said they all expect to go on to earn the highest-level degrees available for their chosen professions. Four generations after Emily Alford, the average degree in the family is a masters.

“I go back to that initial decision that my grandmother made that a college education was important,” Dr. Harris said. “That one decision has impacted generations of my family.”

It has also, in turn, allowed Dr. Harris to impact thousands of others.

Dr. Harris graduated from her father’s alma mater, Booker T. Washington High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma, but she did not follow in her parents’ footsteps to attend Langston University. Instead, she chose to attend Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio, and her experiences there reinforced her beliefs about the power of HBCUs. She went on to earn her Master of Library and Information Studies from the State University of New York at Buffalo before moving to Texas to serve as a librarian at Houston Community College.

After a three-year stint in Houston, Dr. Harris came home to Oklahoma. Thanks to the efforts of Dr. Roosevelt Mack, she officially joined the Lion Pride as a librarian at the LU-Tulsa campus in 1981.

Building Something
A photo of Langston University's Tulsa campus
Langston University’s Tulsa campus opened in 1979. It was the first public institution to offer graduate and upper level higher education courses in Tulsa.

The Langston University-Tulsa campus had been established just two years prior when Dr. Harris joined the staff.

It was the first public institution to offer upper-level higher education classes in Tulsa, and in 1982, it worked together with Oklahoma State University (OSU), the University of Oklahoma (OU) and Northeastern State University (NSU) to form the University Center at Tulsa. Still a firm believer in the importance of education, Dr. Harris was excited to be a part of bringing access to higher education to her hometown.

Serving as a librarian for all academic programs gave Dr. Harris an opportunity to work closely with the students in Tulsa, and she found she enjoyed getting to know them while helping them access the materials they needed for their classes. She was good at her job, and she was soon asked to move to the Langston campus to serve as the Acting Director of the G. Lamar Harrison Library while the school looked for a permanent director.

When she returned to LU-Tulsa a year later, she knew she was ready to take on more responsibility.

She transitioned from the library to a position as an academic counselor. It was around this time that Dr. Wessylyne A. Simpson, Dr. Harris’ aunt who was then the Dean of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences (SOEBS), was working to expand the program offerings at the Tulsa campus. Dr. Harris worked with Dr. Simpson, SOEBS faculty and Diana Sharp to bring the Teacher Education program to Tulsa.

“We worked on paperwork and made sure we had all the bylaws and everything set up before we could start recruiting students,” said Sharp, who still works at LU-Tulsa as an administrative assistant. “We all put our heads together and started the program here, and it’s taken off ever since.”

Dr. Emily Patterson Harris poses with Diana Sharp
Diana Sharp (right) has worked with Dr. Harris since she joined the LU-Tulsa staff in 1983.

Sharp liked working with Dr. Harris right from the start. Her first impression of Dr. Harris in 1983 was of a peppy, happy-go-lucky person who was very easy to talk with. Forty years later, Sharp said that’s still how she’d describe her.

This was the first of many projects Sharp and Dr. Harris would work on together over the years, and Sharp said she appreciated Dr. Harris’ positive attitude and her willingness to try several approaches until they found one that would work. She also appreciated that Dr. Harris knew how to leave work at work, allowing them to form a personal friendship in addition to a professional one.

Thanks to their hard work, they were able to bring the Teacher Education program to LU-Tulsa in 1985. The program was housed on the seventh floor of the building they shared with OSU at 440 S. Houston St., and Dr. Harris took on the role of Associate Director for Teacher Education at LU-Tulsa.

For 12 years, she supervised the teacher education program at the Tulsa campus. She loved working with students and continued to serve as an advisor. In 1986, she also began teaching as an assistant professor in SOEBS, focusing mostly on psychology and education courses.

She went back to school and earned her Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration from OSU in 1989, and she said she is eternally grateful to the late Dr. Mack for his continual support throughout this time as she juggled work and doctoral coursework. She also wanted to thank Dr. Ernest L. Holloway, LU’s longest-serving president, and Dr. C. Gary Crooms.

“There’ve been powerful leaders, master teachers and mentors that encouraged me and were great at their chosen fields,” Dr. Harris said. “The late Dr. Holloway continually focused on challenges as opportunities. Dr. Crooms taught me to look at those challenges from multiple perspectives.”

Dr. Harris finished her doctorate, completed additional coursework in Behavioral Sciences and became certified to teach Social Studies, Language Arts and Library Media. She took her mentors’ lessons as well as everything she’d learned from her own classroom experiences as both a teacher and student to try to continually improve her own classes.

“What I loved about teaching is just the fact that there’s always more information,” Dr. Harris said. “And I’m a librarian, so I love looking for information. You can never get tired of finding new things or new ways of doing things, and sometimes your students will send you off in a different direction.”

Students First
Diana Sharp, President Ruth Ray Jackson, Dr. Sherri Smith Keys, and Dr. Emily Patterson Harris pose on the stairs of the LU-Tulsa campus.
Dr. Harris (far right) served as the Associate Vice President for the LU-Tulsa Campus for almost 12 years.

Dr. Harris was dedicated to her work, and that’s something to which her family can attest. Her two sons spent a lot of their free time at the LU-Tulsa campus and witnessed how hard their mother worked for the students there.

One day, an 8-year-old Erick approached Dr. Virginia Schoats, the campus site director, and told her as much.

“My mom was always working hard,” Erick said. “I had just found out what the word ‘promotion’ meant, and once I realized that I said, ‘Oh, well she deserves one of those.’ And because (Dr. Schoats) was her boss I thought, ‘She’s the one that can give it to her.’”

Not long after, Dr. Schoats did recommend Dr. Harris for a promotion.

In 1997, she became the Associate Vice President for LU-Tulsa, the person who ran the campus. She also served as the Institutional Representative for Langston University to the University Center at Tulsa, advocating for the needs of LU students and faculty while working to improve access to higher education for all Tulsans.

Though her duties and responsibilities changed, her goal stayed the same: to guide students to degree completion.

At this time, the average age of the students at LU-Tulsa was about 34. Dr. Harris recognized early on that their needs would be different than the needs of students at the Langston campus, so she tried to keep their work and familial responsibilities in mind. She, the faculty and staff in Tulsa tried to make it as feasible as possible for students to take classes, offering everything from a bookstore to a registrar’s office on campus so students wouldn’t have to make the drive to the Langston campus.

“We had it set up making sure that once they got out from work, we had every avenue for (students) to be able to take courses so that they would still be able to graduate,” Sharp said. “We made sure the students were happy and taken care of, no matter how many different hats we had to wear.”

Dr. Harris’ motto was to meet students where they were and never take anything personally, and she gave that advice to her student teachers as well as her faculty.

She understood that students, the same as everyone, had challenges in their lives outside of class and were sometimes prone to take that out on their teachers. But she also knew she had to look past that in order to assist them, and she was determined to help them.

“We’re all works in progress,” Dr. Harris said. “I emphasize that we each have our own individual paths.”

Dr. Emily Patterson Harris dressed in academic regalia
Dr. Harris has always done everything in her power to help students make it to graduation.

Students drop out of college for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes they don’t feel they have time to go to class. Sometimes they can’t afford it. Sometimes they just don’t want to do it anymore. If a student dropped out of LU-Tulsa, Dr. Harris wanted to know why.

She would contact them to follow up on why they chose to leave school. Then she would encourage them and brainstorm solutions.

“She would make those calls, and once she got them here, she would do all the rest of it,” Sharp said. “She was making sure that students were taken care of and just trying to get them to realize that, you know, ‘You’re so close. Don’t lose this.’”

Many students returned to school thanks to Dr. Harris’ efforts, and many other students stayed in school for the same reasons.

Dr. Harris recalled that once, an alumnus whom she hadn’t seen in years walked up to her and abruptly told her that he used to hate her. Unflappable as always, she simply responded, “Oh, you did?” He said he really did.

He told her he used to complain about all the work she made them do in her classes. He didn’t appreciate all the readings, essays and other homework she assigned, and it made him resent her during his time as a student.

“And then he said, ‘I just wanted to tell you that I earned my masters,’” Dr. Harris said. “And he told me the program he’d gone through, and he said, ‘If it hadn’t been for you, I would not have made it through that program. And I just wanted to come back and share that with you.’

“That’s the beauty, I think, about Langston University, no matter the campus. There is just a history of balancing those two things of nurturing a student but also having great expectations for those students. ‘LU graduates around the globe serve as leaders, innovators and engaged citizens,’ to quote our vision statement.”

A Lasting Legacy
A group of AKA alumni pose for a group photo
Dr. Ruth Ray Jackson said Dr. Harris embodies the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., motto: Service to All Mankind.

In 2008, Dr. Harris became the “Gear Up” Program Director and Coordinator for the Department of Psychology at LU-Tulsa. She worked closely with Tulsa Public Schools to design and deliver programs meant to encourage college attendance and completion at Tulsa-area middle and high schools while continuing her work as a professor and the leader of the psychology program in Tulsa.

In 2018, she was appointed Chair of the Department of Psychology for all LU campuses, and in 2019 she became Dean of the School of Education and Behavioral Sciences. She has also served, when the need arose, as Acting Dean of University Libraries. Throughout it all, she has continued her efforts to help students learn and make it to graduation.

“Dr. Harris has done a phenomenal job,” President Ruth Ray Jackson said. “Even in her role as Dean, she continues to advise students and to meet with transfer students. Of course, she’s now in a position where she’s solving problems and listening to complaints and concerns from both students and faculty, but she’s consistently energized and ready to meet somebody and help them get to where they want to go.”

Dr. Harris has become known for the positive energy she brings to projects and her willingness to try several routes until she finds the one that will work. Dr. Jackson called her a creative problem solver, and she’s had a lot of experience doing it.

During her 44 years at Langston University, Dr. Harris has tackled lots of challenges, from redesigning curricula to helping develop completely new ones. Though she has almost 40 years of teaching experience, she continued trying out different teaching strategies up until she taught her last class in 2024 because she knew there was always room for improvement. She knows Langston University inside and out, and she has made a lasting impact.

“My mother is one of the most encouraging people that I’ve ever known,” Erick said. “She supports you, but there’s a nice edge to her that will push you and encourage you to keep moving forward. And that’s what she’s done at Langston University.”

Throughout her career, Dr. Harris has been the model of a servant-leader, both in her personal and professional life.

Her youngest son, Christopher, said he’s grateful to have grown up with Dr. Harris as a role model because she inspires him to try to be a leader in his own industry, noting that he often models his own behavior after her in professional settings. He also recognized that his mother’s career at LU has always gone beyond her job descriptions.

“You recognize the sacrifice almost after the fact,” Christopher said. “She could have had positions and titles that would’ve paid more at other institutions and in other states, but not everything is about financial gain.

“It’s having us grow up around our grandparents, and from a career perspective, it’s saying that you can have a positive impact on people’s lives and be that role model of what leadership looks like.”

She is a longtime member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and Dr. Jackson, a fellow AKA, said Dr. Harris embodies their sorority’s motto: Service to All Mankind.

Dr. Harris said it’s not hard to find ways to serve because they will usually find you. Now, after four decades of service to Dear Langston, she is finally ready to retire. Her last day will be June 30, though she jokes it will really be “the 12th of never.”

“I’m sure I will (miss teaching),” Dr. Harris said. “But I’m sure that I can find all kinds of creative things to do.

“I say, ‘Don’t look back. You’re not going in that direction.’”

Dr. Emily Patterson Harris in academic regalia
Dr. Harris will retire from Langston University after 44 years of service on June 30.
Brianna Campbell posing on balcony.

Shining Resiliency: Brianna Campbell’s Journey Back to Langston University

Release Provided By

(This story was originally published in ‘E Roar | Vol. 2 Issue 2 in March 2025)

By Jet Turner, Assistant Director of Communications

Brianna Campbell had not felt well in weeks.

An apple here, a smoothie there; that was all she could muster to eat. Not feeling well has been common to Campbell since she was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at 13 years old, but something this time felt a little “off.”

Campbell, who was 19 years old at the time, was in the process of switching from her pediatric endocrinologist to an adult endocrinologist and was having difficulties getting the supplies she needed for her diabetes. Her blood sugar was high for several days and she had no idea.

With midterms coming up, she didn’t really have time to think about it.

Campbell had not attended class in-person for about two weeks, as professors were hosting remote classes due to the spread of COVID-19. Hardly leaving her dorm, how she felt wasn’t really a concern to her at the time.

She woke up on Sept. 20, 2023, less than ready to take her English midterm.

“I woke up not feeling good at all,” Campbell said. “I was out of breath, breathing very, very hard trying to get dressed and get down the stairs to get to my car.”

She parked in front of Jones Hall on Langston University’s campus. Just getting out of the vehicle and walking into the building was exhausting.

Campbell sat at a desk and, as soon as the professor passed the exams out, she hurried to the bathroom to throw up.

“That’s probably not a good sign, but I have to take this midterm,” Campbell said.

She found her way back to class, but not long after sweating over the exam she had to go back to the restroom. Stumbling down the hallway this time, she just made it to the bathroom door before passing out.

Not long afterward, a friend of Campbell’s found her. She was already waking up but didn’t have enough strength to stand. Campbell’s friend went to find her professor, and the professor called 911.

Paramedics arrived and took Campbell to the hospital. Her professor followed to ensure she was OK. They alerted her roommate, who called Campbell’s parents and let them know what was happening.

Campbell was admitted to the emergency room, and the tests began.

She was immediately tested for COVID-19, which came back positive. Her blood sugar level was also around 600 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), about six times higher than the norm. Most surprising, they found her hemoglobin levels to be at a 4, when the normal range is about 12-15 for adult women. A blood transfusion was needed.

“I signed my own consent form for a blood transfusion at 19 years old,” Campbell said. “I sign it, then turn to my professor and ask, ‘What is a blood transfusion?’”

About the same time as she was admitted into the hospital, Campbell’s parents arrived.

Brianna Campbell poses with her family.
Brianna Campbell and her family.

The next several hours were a blur of CT scans and blood work as doctors worked to get to the root of what was making Campbell so sick. That night she stayed in the hospital for monitoring.

She awoke early the next morning, and soon a doctor was in to give the prognosis. Campbell called her parents on the phone so they could receive the news at the same time.

“They think it’s leukemia,” Campbell said.

She was transferred to Oklahoma Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City that morning. The next day, Campbell had a bone marrow biopsy to determine if she had leukemia. After the procedure, she slept the rest of the day.

The next day the doctors came back and said leukemia was off the table. They now thought it was myelodysplastic syndrome.

According to Mayo Clinic, ” Myelodysplastic syndromes are a group of disorders caused by blood cells that are poorly formed or don’t work properly. Myelodysplastic syndromes result from something amiss in the spongy material inside your bones where blood cells are made (bone marrow).”

A bone marrow transplant is the only potential cure for myelodysplastic syndrome. During the transplant, a high dose of chemotherapy drugs is used to clean out defective red blood cells from the bone marrow.

After the transplant you have a brand-new immune system, and your body needs time to not only adjust to it, but to isolate so you don’t get sick.

This was what potentially awaited Campbell as she left the hospital six days later to head back to Keller, Texas. Campbell, with the help of her parents, decided to withdraw from Langston University because there was no telling how long this process would take.

On Oct. 20, 2023, one month after she passed out during her midterm, she got the results.

It turned out Campbell didn’t have myelodysplastic syndrome, or anything nearly as serious. Campbell has pernicious anemia, a rare B12 vitamin deficiency where her body cannot absorb the vitamin through food, which can be easily treated with supplements, shots, a diet change and other simple measures depending on the severity.

Brianna Campbell sitting in a medical room.
Brianna Campbell received medical treatment.

Campbell and her parents were relieved.

“Looking back on it, I really don’t like that they told me all of these things I might have before the tests were official,” Campbell said.

Because of what she went through, Campbell decided to change her major and pursue a degree in nursing. Campbell began taking online classes at the University of Texas at Arlington to not fall behind, but she quickly became frustrated with the pace of her education. She was progressing slower than she wanted and missed the social aspect of college she had come to love at Langston University.

Campbell began considering her options. Should she go back to Langston University? Enroll in another college in-person? Or should she continue online? Her parents were hoping that, whatever decision she made, Campbell would remain close to home after all she went through.

Campbell was returning to Langston University often in the months following her pernicious anemia diagnosis to see her friends.

“I was just really missing Langston at this point,” Campbell said. “I would come (to Langston University) for days on end, and they would go to class, and I’d be like, ‘I wish I had classes to go to.’”

Langston University President Ruth Ray Jackson had been in contact with Campbell and her family during this whole process, even visiting Campbell in the hospital. Dr. Jackson and Campbell’s mother had remained in contact, and Campbell began emailing and texting Dr. Jackson about possibly returning to Dear Langston.

Dr. Jackson helped Campbell find the proper offices and people to begin the re-enrollment process.

Brianna Campbell and her family pose with President Ruth Ray Jackson.
Brianna Campbell and her family enjoy homecoming with Dr. Ruth Ray Jackson.

Campbell eventually told her parents she wanted to go back to Langston University as a student.

“When they asked why, I told them that I never believed Langston University was a steppingstone,” Campbell said. “I don’t believe it was ever a wrong choice. I think that it is the first decision that I made as an adult to go to this university. I decided to move out of state, I decided to come to this university. I decided to go to an HBCU, and it’s a decision that never felt wrong to me. I want to honor that decision from my younger self, that first decision I made as an adult.”

Campbell returned to Langston University in the Fall of 2024. Now a sophomore, she’s made it a point to get the most out of her experience the second time around.

She is excelling in her nursing classes and hopes to be helping people just like her as soon as possible. Additionally, Campbell competed in the Alpha Pi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. 2024-2025 Miss Krimson and Kream pageant that returning semester, winning the title of Miss Alpha Pi.

“I think having to leave and come back, you are able to appreciate Langston more,” Campbell said. “I think I’ve done 10 times more things than I would have done if I had just gone through normally. When I came back, I wanted to get out there, meet people, join things.

“You don’t realize what you have until you lose it.”

The Lady Lions basketball team hold us the SAC Conference Championship trophy

Being Elite: Lady Lions win historic SAC Championship, make NAIA Round of Sixteen appearance

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(This story was originally published in ‘E Roar | Vol. 2 Issue 3 on April 25, 2025.)

by Ellie Melero, Media Relations Specialist

The Lady Lions knew they were about to make history.

With 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter, they led the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Drovers 63-49. They just needed to run the clock out.

The entire bench was on their feet, and The Den was alive with excited anticipation. The cheering had already started, and the moment the clock ticked 0, the Lady Lions rushed onto the court and embraced their teammates.

For the first time in program history, they were the Sooner Athletic Conference Regular Season Champions. They were also the first Historically Black College or University to earn the title for SAC women’s basketball.

“It felt awesome,” said senior forward Ruth Sodipe. “Especially since it was senior night, it was the last home game of the season, so it was really awesome getting to do it in front of the fans and being able to celebrate and be happy with the girls.”

The team savored the moment in the minutes following the game, celebrating with each other and their families before heading down to the locker room. Then it was back to business.

A week later, the Lady Lions swept the SAC Tournament for another SAC Championship, also a program and HBCU first. Then they played in the NAIA National Tournament, making it all the way to Sioux City, Iowa, to play in the Round of 16.

The team played with such fierce determination and noticeable cohesiveness all season that one would think this was the culmination of four years playing together under Head Coach Chris Vincent. In reality, this was most of the Lady Lions’ first year at Langston University and Coach Vincent’s first year at the helm.

Chris Vincent draws out a play for the Lady Lions on his clip board
In his first year with the Lady Lions, Head Coach Chris Vincent led the team to two conference championships and a national tournament Round of 16 appearance.
Building an Elite Culture

Just three months after a last-minute national championship loss as assistant coach of the LU men’s team, Chris Vincent was hungry for another shot at a ring. He took over as head coach for the Lady Lions on June 15, and with only four girls returning from the previous season, he had six weeks to hire support staff and recruit players. Time was of the essence, but this was a step that couldn’t be rushed.

He needed to find coaches and players who would buy into Langston University’s “Be Elite” mindset, and that started with holding himself to an Elite standard as a recruiter. He spent hours scouring the transfer portal before hitting the road, traveling to several states to meet with players. He worked at all hours of the day and night, calling and messaging players while reviewing resumes for assistants.

“Those six weeks were exciting, but they were also very stressful,” Vincent said. “You know, just being by myself and trying to do it all. There was a lot of hours on the phone, a lot of isolated conversations in my office.”

Despite the ticking clock, Vincent made time to get to know each of the players he was asking to join his team and gave them an opportunity to get to know him as well. The future Lady Lions could already tell a difference between this program and others they had been a part of.

Sodipe was ready to join the team after Vincent flew to El Paso, Texas, and took the time to work out with her and talk about her goals. Diamond Richardson was set on Dear Langston after hearing Vincent speak so highly of the school then visiting the campus herself. Mikayla Woods committed to LU two days before school started after a long phone call with Vincent where they talked extensively about what she could accomplish with the team. Jordan Brown came because of the connection she felt with Vincent.

Jordan Brown shoots the ball against a USAO defender.
Jordan Brown committed to Langston University because of the coach-player connection she felt with Vincent.

“He saw my little highlight tape and reached out to me, and we really had a connection,” Brown said. “I never really had that coach-player connection at my last school like that, so it was really big on me to get that this year. So I talked with him, I came on a visit and I really thought he was genuine.”

Those initial conversations and connections attracted a lot of Vincent’s recruits to LU. It was clear he was passionate about basketball and determined to build a championship team, but it was also clear he cared about his players off the court. The same way Dear Langston considers the entire Lion Pride to be a family, Vincent wanted his team to be one, too. The Lady Lions were on board with that.

In August, Vincent brought in Ashley Bruner as assistant coach and E’Donis Harris as a graduate assistant. With a full staff and roster, he called the first team meeting of the year.

For Vincent, that first meeting was crucial to set the tone for the year. It was an opportunity for the players to get to know the coaches better, and it was a chance for them to begin to get to know one another, too.

They talked about each of their past experiences at other schools and in various programs. They opened up about injuries and everything they had been through, good and bad. As the meeting went on, they began to build trust with one another.

“We had to open up to one another, and I feel like that was big because in other programs, you kind of do that later on in the season,” Richardson said. “I feel like building that foundation, building that culture and identity from the jump rather than later was very important.”

Winning the Day
Coach Vincent points at a spot on the court during practice
The Lady Lions strove to “Be Elite” and “Win the Day” during games, practice and off the court.

After that meeting, the Lady Lions got to work. Every day, they lifted weights, went to class and practiced in the evening. Even when Vincent gave them a day off to rest and recuperate, many of them still found their way to the gym, taking pride in calling themselves “Gym Rats.”

When their season opener arrived at the end of October, they trounced the Wiley University Wildcats 91-28. They swept their non-conference games but began their conference play with a 71-78 loss against Wayland Baptist University. It didn’t matter; they kept working.

One of Vincent’s catchphrases for the team was “Win the Day.” He told the players to take it day by day, one game at a time. Don’t let a bad game or bad practice stay with you; move on to the next day. When there’s a good game or practice, sit with it a moment and enjoy it, but then move on to the next day. He reminded them their goal was not to win any single game, but to win a championship.

“If you can set yourself up to try to reach that goal of excellence, of being elite, it’s just going to make you such a better player and a better person,” Vincent said. “That’s kind of what our culture is, and that’s something that we really stress. And they’ve really bought into it.”

The Lady Lions strove to Be Elite and Win the Day, and they held themselves and one another accountable to that standard.

In practice, when one person made a mistake, their teammates would give them pointers and encouragement to fix it. The coaches were patient but firm, and the player herself would drill it until she got it right. In the locker room at halftime, they didn’t wait for the coaches to come in and tell them what they needed to work on; they told each other. After wins, they celebrated in the locker room before pivoting to focus on their next game.

As the season went on, they continued to grow closer as a team, players and coaches alike. It showed in how they played.

Renee James cheers during a basketball game
Lady Lions Superfan Renee James (right) cheered the team on all season as they continued to improve and grow closer together.

Renee James, an LU alumna and decades-long Lady Lions Basketball fan, said it was evident from her seat in the stands how close the team had grown and how much they trusted one another. Sometimes they would start a game slow, but then they’d regroup, talk to one another and the pieces would fall into place.

“They are so awesome,” James said. “They want to be together, and they work so well together. I love watching them play. I love their energy. They make watching women’s basketball fun!”

After their loss to Wayland, the Lady Lions went on a 19-game win streak, which included a rematch with Wayland at home. They lost to Texas Wesleyan University on the road but bounced back with a 64-61 win against the Rams two weeks later. They were 22-2 in conference play for the regular season.

The Lady Lions knew their team was special from the beginning. Winning the SAC Regular Season Championship and SAC Tournament Championship just confirmed for everyone else what they already knew.

When asked what set their team apart from the others, Sodipe said it was their competitiveness. Brown said it was their persistence. Richardson said it was their commitment to playing together. Woods said it was their winning culture.

“We’re very unselfish, and we’re really versatile,” Woods said. “We have a lot of different pieces, and I just feel like our chemistry is great, even off the court. We’re cool off the court and have a great time off the court, and I feel like that helps us on the court.”

Mikayla Woods dribbles a basketball
Mikayla Woods was named a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association NAIA All-American and an NAIA Second Team All-American, the first NAIA All-American selection for the Lady Lions since 2022.
Heads Held High

Though their season did not end in a national championship, it did end in success. The Lady Lions ended their season 31-3, tying the record for most single season wins in program history. Several players earned accolades throughout the year, including Woods who was named a Women’s Basketball Coaches Association NAIA All-American and an NAIA Second Team All-American, the first NAIA All-American selection for the Lady Lions since 2022.

After the team’s hard fought Round of 16 loss in Iowa, there was a more somber atmosphere in the locker room than there had been all season. Many fought to hold back tears and others let them flow, not just upset about the end of their national championship pursuit but also about the end of their time playing together.

Coach Vincent looked around the room at the young women who had become a family this season, and he told them to hold their heads high. They had played hard. They had accomplished so much. They had made history.

“I want you all to know, I wouldn’t trade any of you for anything else,” Vincent told them. “I’ve come to not only love coaching you but also loving you as people. I want you to remember, this family is something no one can take from you. Keep your head up.

“I love you guys, all right.”

 

The Lady Lions place their hands on the SAC Championship trophy during their locker room huddle
The Lady Lions made history as the first team in program history to win both the SAC Regular Season Championship and SAC Tournament Championship.
Photos of Elise Thompson, Nadia Mooreland and Cambrie Cannon

Taking the Lead: Women leaders find their stride at Langston University

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by Ellie Melero, Media Relations Specialist

There are over 70 registered student organizations at Langston University offering students chances to find communities with like-minded interests and, for those willing to seek them, opportunities for leadership. From Greek Life to the English Club, there is always a need for campus leaders, and the Office of Student Life works hard to provide mentorship and learning opportunities to develop these students’ leadership skills.

Dr. A. Dominique Williams, the assistant dean for the Office of Student Life, tries to connect students not only with each other but also with resources that can help them be successful. For her, honing students’ leadership abilities is an important part of preparing them for their future careers, and she emphasizes that anyone willing to put in the work can become a leader, regardless of race or gender.

“Even though it’s 2025, there are still a lot of places in corporate America, non-profits, multiple different industries where Black women and women of color are not given leadership roles,” Dr. Williams said. “So, it’s really important to show our students, ‘You can be a leader. You absolutely can be in these rooms and be at these tables, and this is how you can lead in these spaces.’”

Lady Lions all over campus prove every day that women can be leaders. Let’s meet a few of the young women leading at Dear Langston.

Elise Thompson – SGA Vice President

Elise Thompson has always been civically engaged.

An Oklahoma City native, Thompson didn’t always feel like she fit in at the Dove Science Academy where she went to school, so from a young age, she sought out different avenues to try to find her place. She ended up joining youth leadership programs, which is how she first met Anastasia Pittman, a former state senator and state representative and a Langston University alumna.

Pittman’s work for Oklahoma’s 99th District inspired Thompson, and Pittman became her mentor. Working with Pittman and learning about government helped Thompson realize that was what she wanted to do when she grew up: serve her community as the State Representative for the 99th District. That’s the goal she’s still working toward.

Elise Thompson speaks to the student body during opening convocation
Elise Thompson addresses the student body during the Opening Convocation Ceremony in August.

After high school, Thompson came to Langston University as a McCabe Scholar studying accounting and immediately joined the LU Student Government Association (SGA). She ran for freshman class president and tied the race before losing by three votes in the runoff election. Instead of discouraging her from pursuing future leadership positions, the loss motivated her to work on herself and develop her skills for next time.

“That was a turning point for me,” Thompson said. “That just made me want to work harder. I saw the people who did have those positions and used them as inspiration. Even though I didn’t win, I made sure that I stayed around so I could learn.”

Thompson continued to join student organizations on and off campus, and she took advantage of leadership and development opportunities whenever they presented themselves.

She joined the Oklahoma Student Government Association (OSGA), and in Fall 2024, OSGA passed three bills she proposed, which have now been passed on to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education (OSRHE). She joined the NAACP and attended their national convention in New Jersey her sophomore year. As an LU Student Ambassador, she helped plan and put on Lion Camp, and she has served as the Civic Engagement Chair for Women of Purpose for three years.

As an SGA senator, Thompson helped lobby Langston University administration to raise the fall bursar balance cap for spring enrollment from $200 to $1,000, allowing many students to continue their studies without having to take a semester off. As the SGA Vice President, Thompson helped register over 200 LU students to vote in the 2024 presidential election, and she attended OSRHE’s Student Advisory Council. She is currently helping plan Alternative Spring Break, which is a student community service trip to Washington D.C.

“I can see that my work is not done in vain,” Thompson said. “I actually do have an impact on people, on my community.”

Her hard work has earned her opportunities outside of LU, too. She was invited to attend the Oklahoma City Police Department Youth Leadership Academy where she was able to build a working relationship with Police Chief Ron Bacy, and she received a George and Donna Nigh Public Service Scholarship to represent Langston University at the Nigh Institute. Additionally, she has been an intern for Rep. Ajay Pittman for the past 6 years.

Thompson is aware she still has a lot of room to grow as a leader, but she’s proud of how far she’s come and how much she’s been able to accomplish during her time at Dear Langston. She is constantly learning from those around her, and she’s doing it all so she can one day use all she’s learned to help improve her community in east Oklahoma City.

“I want to help my community be able to thrive,” Thompson said. “Even if it’s something small, knowing that I’m able to help someone really just fills my heart, and that’s what keeps me going.” 

Nadia Mooreland – Co-Founder of LU Athletics Social Media Team

Nadia Mooreland lives her life by Habakkuk 2:2: “Write it down, make it plain.”

Nadia Mooreland talks into a microphone during a football game
Nadia Mooreland helped found the Langston University Athletics Social Media Team in 2023.

For Mooreland, the first step to achieving a goal is to write it down. The second step is to put in the work. Her hard work and dedication have transformed the Langston University Department of Athletics’ approach to social media.

Mooreland transferred to Langston University as a broadcast journalism major in Fall 2022 after running track at Oklahoma Baptist University for three years and taking a gap year to focus on her mental health. Growing up in Cushing, Oklahoma, without many Black peers or role models, Mooreland felt an immediate sense of belonging when she arrived on the Langston University campus, and that motivated her to seek out ways to get involved.

She pondered how she could combine her interests in sports and social media with her desire to find a way to give back to the university, and then she came across the LUBoys TikTok account. The page, run by her fellow broadcast journalism students as part of a class project, was filled with interviews and highlight reels of the LU football team.

“I was thinking to myself, ‘Man, it would be cool if we could do this but for all the sports programs,’” Mooreland said.

The idea stayed in the back of her mind until one Fried Chicken Wednesday that spring when her sister introduced her to Quinzaria Tatum. Tatum had a similar interest in revamping Athletics’ social media, and Mooreland knew she had found someone to help bring her idea to life. They met up again a few weeks later, and Mooreland brought a notebook filled with ideas to use social media to bring attention to LU athletes. To her delight, Tatum had done the same.

The two worked together to conduct a SWOT analysis of LU Athletics’ social media presence and then create a strategic plan and campaign proposal. They set up a meeting with Athletic Director Donnita Rogers and Assistant Athletic Director Fachaitte Kinslow where they pitched their plan for a social media team. They then gave their presentation to Sports Information Director Kyle Taylor, then again to the coaches of all Langston sports, and finally to the Office of Public Relations. In Fall 2023, Mooreland and Tatum officially founded the LU Athletics Social Media Team.

For the past two years they have co-led the 15-person social media team, creating content and managing the Instagram and Facebook accounts for all eight sports teams. The team has received lots of positive feedback from LU students and alumni, and coaches now use the content they create for recruitment. LU Athletics’ online exposure and engagement has increased exponentially; one of their football videos has over 600,000 views and earned dozens of ‘follows’ from high school football players.

“Langston University doesn’t get a lot of good press, but I like to call it the Hidden Gem of Oklahoma,” Mooreland said. “If you look inside that Hidden Gem, you see the talented, motivated, hardworking and passionate future leaders of America just killing the game at Langston University. And we just wanted to show exposure to our HBCU, one post at a time.”

Part of Mooreland’s original vision included increasing Athletics’ media and community engagement, and she has been spearheading the team’s media relations and brand storytelling. She organizes media days for every sport and team promotes theme nights for home games, and this year she started conducting post-game press conferences and half-time reports for men’s and women’s basketball.

Mooreland has learned and grown a lot from leading the social media team, but she is now facing her biggest challenge yet: letting go. As she prepares to graduate this July, she is mentoring and training the underclassmen on the social media team to take over for next year.

“It’s kind of hard starting a legacy but then coming to the realization, ‘Dang, I have to leave it,’” Mooreland said. “We have to give it to the younger people so they can put their own twist on it, and they can continue the legacy.”

Cambrie Cannon takes a photograph
Cambrie Cannon is the Constitution Revision Chair for the LU Student Ambassadors, the Civic Voice Chair in the SGA Senate and the Public Relations Chair for the Legal Lions.
Cambrie Cannon – LU Student Ambassadors

For Cambrie Cannon, confidence is key in leadership.

A junior double majoring in corrections and broadcast journalism, Cannon has learned a lot about leadership since high school. Growing up in Oklahoma City, she always had examples of strong leaders thanks to the many military service members in her family, including her father who served in the Army National Guard, Army and Army Reserves. As she neared her high school graduation, she knew she wanted to serve her country, but she also knew she wanted to pursue a higher education.

Luckily for her, it didn’t have to be one or the other.

Cannon enlisted in the Oklahoma National Guard after graduation and attended basic training that summer. In the fall, she accepted a Regent Scholarship to attend Langston University.

“I find myself following in my dad’s footsteps,” Cannon said. “He also served and he also attended Langston.”

At first, Cannon felt odd being an active-duty service member in school, but she was quickly able to find community among her fellow Lions. As she became more comfortable, she started getting more involved on campus. She became an LU Student Ambassador, joined the Student Government Association and became an active member of the Legal Lions, a club for pre-law students. As she got more involved, she began to take on leadership roles within these student organizations.

Cannon is the Constitution Revision Chair for the LU Student Ambassadors, the Civic Voice Chair in the SGA Senate and the Public Relations Chair for the Legal Lions. In the National Guard, she has earned the rank of Specialist and works in Public Affairs.

“These positions are really shaping me as a leader, and I’m definitely going to carry these skills and traits on when I go to law school,” Cannon said. “The skills that Langston is teaching me now are going to make me a better leader. I feel like the skills that you develop here, they’re skills that you can’t get anywhere else.”

Cannon knows the lessons she has learned in both the military and as a student have been building off each other, enabling her to better serve in each of her respective positions. Her experience in the military has given her the confidence to trust herself and her abilities, while her experiences at Dear Langston have given her the confidence to be creative in her problem solving, use her resources and interact with authority figures.

When Cannon finishes her degree, she plans to go to law school, though she is unsure whether she would like to go into criminal or family law or pursue a career as a Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) officer. Whichever path she chooses, she knows she’s prepared.

“Langston is giving me that confidence as a woman and as a minority to go after these positions,” Cannon said. “I’m not scared to apply for promotion boards, I’m not scared to communicate with my higher ups. I’m used to Langston pushing me to take on these positions. So when it comes having the confidence to go after something that I want, Langston has given me the confidence to do that.”

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